Seldom Tread Paths
by Archica
Summary: Sequel to "Nobody's Girl". AU fic in which Muggles are dead and Half-Bloods are servants. Harry becomes the servant of Ron and Ginny. Slash and mild incest.
1. Chapter One

Author's Notes: This is something of a sequel to "Nobody's Girl". You do not necessarily have to read that story to understand this one, but reading it will help you to understand the world this story takes place in (as they are both set in the same Alternate Universe). This story takes place around the same time as "Nobody's Girl", and focuses more on the Harry and the Weasley family. Also, I hope to elaborate more on the world itself in this installment. As always, comments, questions, suggestions and complaints are very welcome. ^_^ 

Also, readers of "Nobody's Girl" should be aware that I had finished that story before I began posting it here, which explains how I posted the chapters so fast. Since I'm just starting on this one, be prepared to wait a while between chapters since I'm so slow at writing. 

Chapter One: 

Ron Weasley looked frantically around in the crowded streets, his dark eyes roaming over the Witches and Wizards hustling about, trying desperately to pick out a face amongst them. "Ginny!" he called loudly, his voice barely rising above the constant hum of endless conversations going on at once. 

Merchants lined the streets, yelling out for people to come and look at their goods. Children cried for their parents to buy them things. Obnoxious, high-class Wizards stood in groups, chuckling and talking about business-related things. Ron felt hopeless. It was no use yelling for his sister in this crowd. 

He walked briskly up and down the streets, his head turning back and forth, looking in every direction. It was unfortunate that she was wearing her large green hat today, otherwise pointing out her vivid red hair would have been easy. He cursed himself for turning his back on her. She was sixteen, beautiful, and extremely friendly. How hard would it be for some drunken, horny old Wizard to drag her into an alley and do unspeakable things to her? He shook his head. He couldn't let himself think about that. He just had to find her. 

His parents had sent him out to take Ginny to get her schoolbooks. They were busy with this and that, and had not had time to take her themselves. At eighteen, they expected Ron to be responsible enough to handle it. _They were wrong_, he thought bitterly. 

With some hesitation, Ron began walking toward the darker side of town, where illegal affairs were too common for the Ministry to even attempt to stop. He wasn't comfortable there, having only been there twice before in his life, but worry for Ginny gave him the courage to go on. _He had to find her_. 

He tried to walk as if he were not afraid. Showing fear was like a magnet for an attack of some sort. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, his face nearly disappearing into shadow. Being somewhat tall and dark, he didn't have much trouble fitting in. He fingered his wand in his pocket, drawing security from its presence and readying some spells in his mind in case of danger. 

As he walked past an alley, something caught his eye. Movement. There were piles of dirty blankets, moving around as if something was trapped beneath them. Though it was illogical, somewhere in his worried mind he thought that it could have been Ginny. He ran down the alley and began tearing the blankets away. Finally a thin figure came into view. 

It was a boy, or so Ron assumed. It was somewhat small and pale, clothed in dirty rags. It shifted uncomfortably in the absence of blankets. It was a chilly morning after all. His hair was jet black and wildly spread across his face. Slowly the boy's eyes opened, and Ron immediately knew the boy was blind. The emerald eyes were beautiful, yet empty as they shifted about. 

"Who's there?" the boy asked, sitting up quickly. 

"Um… sorry about that… I was looking for someone…" 

"Who are you?" 

Ron sighed. He didn't have time for this. "My name's Ron. I have to go, I'm looking for my sister." 

"Ron Weasley?" the boy asked suddenly. 

Ron froze. "How do you know my last name?" 

The boy stood up and dusted himself off. "Someone dragged a girl by here. I heard her crying 'You can't do this! I'm a Weasley! My brother Ron is with me and he'll be coming for me any minute!' or something to that effect." 

Ron stared at him in disbelief. Suddenly his worst fears had come true. He grabbed the boy by the shoulders. "Where did they take her?!" 

The boy shrugged. "Sorry, didn't quite see that part." 

"But you had to have heard something! Please, if anything happened to Ginny I'd die!" 

The boy pushed Ron's hands away. "I know what you are," he said with a frown, "you're a fancy Pure-blood from a fancy family. You'd spit in my face if I asked you for help!" 

Ron stood back with wide eyes. "That's not true! I'm not that kind of Pure-blood!" 

The boy waved dismissively. "Say what you want, it makes no difference to me. But, for that girl, I'll tell you where they went." 

"For Ginny… why?" 

"I'm not one hundred percent blind, you know. I see flashes, and I saw where they took her." 

"Then where?!" 

The boy stepped casually down the alley, never stumbling despite his disability. He was obviously used to these streets. "There's a harem right down the next alley, and they do their dealings in a pub. Did you know there's a severe shortage of redheads around here?" 

Ron reflexively straightened his hood over his head, then remembered that the boy probably couldn't see his hair anyway. "So how dangerous is it? Anything I should know before I go busting in there?" 

"You _don't_ go busting in there. You'd be dead before you could draw your wand. … You _do_ have a wand, don't you?" 

"Of course I do! So how do I get Ginny back?" 

The boy led Ron across the street and along a crumbling stone wall. He motioned to the left. "It's over there. But you have to do this with subtlety. You can't just run in there and rescue your sister. You have to buy her." 

Ron's mouth dropped open. "Buy her?! But she's my sister! Why should I have to _buy_ her?!" 

"Do you want me to tell you exactly what will happen if you don't? You'll go in there, looking suspicious, and they'll immediately draw their wands. You'll try to take Ginny away from them and they'll kill you right in front of her, then sell her to the next sleazy bastard who comes in. Is that what you want?" 

Ron frowned. "Okay. Since you put it that way." 

The boy nodded. "Here's what you have to do: Walk in casually, don't look nervous or scared. Scan the room as if you're looking for something, but not desperate to find it. Spot Ginny and stride over. Tell them you're looking for a whore, and you're particularly interested in redheads. Show them you have some money, then begin negotiating the price." 

"But Ginny will call out to me as soon a she sees me." 

"No she won't. As soon as they take girls in there, they put a silencing curse on them. She won't be able to speak a word." 

Ron nodded. Then looked at the boy thoughtfully. "How do you know all this?" 

"I've spent seventeen years on these streets. I know everything about this place." 

"Oh, you're a Mudbl- … I mean, you're a Muggle-born." 

"I know what you meant. And do you think I'd be free if I were a Mudblood? I'm a half-blood." 

"Oh," Ron said, going a bit red. "What's your name?" 

"Why should I tell you?" 

"You know mine." 

The boy stared blankly in Ron's direction. "Harry Potter." 

"Thanks for helping me, Harry," Ron said warmly, then stood up and made his way over to the run-down pub across the street. He took a deep breath, opened the doors, and walked inside as calmly as he could. He sat down near the bar and began looking around. Most of the people there were your average-looking thugs: long, greasy hair, beer bellies, and tattered robes. Suddenly he caught sight of Ginny, sitting on a wooden chair surrounded by three large men. She looked terribly frightened, eyes wide and wet. 

He walked over slowly, and her eyes met his. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. He tried to speak with his eyes that he was there to save her, but he didn't think it was working. He wondered if eye-reading was even an actual practice. 

The three thugs looked up at him with dark, menacing eyes. "Interested in something?" one of them asked in a rough voice, throwing an arm around Ginny. 

"Yes, I've been looking for a redhead, and I see you've found a lovely one here." 

Ginny immediately seemed to understand what was going on, and remained still. Her eyes looked trusting and aware. Ron began to think there was something to eye-reading after all. Another of the men stood up and pulled Ginny to her feet. "She's definitely a nice one, she is. Young, soft, even a Pure-blood!" 

Ron reached out and stroked a strand of Ginny's hair. "Where did you find something so beautiful?" He prayed to God that he didn't sound fake. 

"We don't reveal our sources," he answered with a chuckle. Then he shoved Ginny practically into Ron's arms. "Go ahead then, boy. Check out the merchandise." 

Ron blinked, then realized what the man was talking about. He knew he was going red, and he hoped they would simply think he was some naïve rich-boy virgin. "I'm already impressed with her. How much do you want?" 

The third man stood up, glowering at Ron suspiciously. "That's not the way we deal, boy. We always make sure the customer is getting what he wants." He reached around Ginny from behind and pulled her robe open, exposing a thin, white lace bra. "Have a feel before you decide." 

It was Ginny's turn to go red, though Ron was sure his shade of scarlet was darker than hers. "As I said, I'm already quite impressed with her," he told them, his voice less steady than he'd hoped for. 

The third man grabbed Ron's right hand and pressed it against Ginny's breast. "Nice, isn't she? Want to check out the lower parts?" 

Ron jerked his hand away. "I'll take her," he said, digging around in his pockets for some money. He pulled out a handful and shoved it into their faces. The three of them looked at him with wide eyes, then looked at each other. The third man grabbed the money, looking as if he'd decided that he didn't care who Ron was, as long as he shelled out the cash. Another of the men pulled out his wand and muttered something inaudible, then went straight back to counting the money. 

Ginny's voice returned, but she wisely said nothing until they were outside of the pub. She pulled her robe tightly around herself. "That was smooth," she said with a nearly invisible smile. 

Ron narrowed his eyes. "I saved you, didn't I? Don't complain about how I did it." 

Ginny laughed and kissed his cheek. "My knight in shining armor," she said cheerfully, "Though I didn't expect you to fondle me." 

"Well, I didn't go in there with the intent to molest my sister," he said irritably. 

Ginny laughed again, then stopped suddenly when Ron paused and cast a gaze across the street, where a thin, dark-haired boy was leaning against a wall. "Do you know him?" she asked. 

"Uh… sort of. He helped me find you," Ron answered. 

"Oh? I have two knights now? Let's go and thank him." 

Ginny walked over to Harry, smiling brightly. "Hey there! I heard you helped my brother out! Thanks!" 

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I'm the friendly alley-way Super-trash. I go around doing good deeds and getting shit in return for it." 

Ginny's smile faded. "You're getting a token of gratitude. What else do you want? Money? I'm sure I can arrange something." 

"No thanks. I'm sure I'd get to keep it for a whole ten seconds before someone beat me down and took it away from me." 

Ron had walked over at this point. "Then what can we do for you? Food? Clothes?" 

"Shelter?" Ginny asked. Ron gave her a "shut up!" look. 

Harry looked thoughtfully into the blank space between Ron and Ginny. "Are you offering me a place to stay?" 

Ron said "Not exactly" just as Ginny was saying "Yes". 

Harry folded his arms across his chest. "Which is it?" 

Ron sighed. "I could talk to my dad about hiring you. You are a half-blood after all, or so you say." 

Harry ignored the last part. "Hire me? As a servant?" 

"That's a great idea!" said Ginny, "We could use a servant or two! We only had one for years and he recently retired. Our father treats servants kindly and pays well, plus you get three meals a day and a room of your own at our house." 

Harry smiled, the first time they'd seen him do so. Ron decided that Harry's smile wasn't very attractive, especially since it seemed devious somehow. "I'll take the job," Harry said, holding out his hand and motioning for them to lead them back to their home. 


	2. Chapter Two

Author's Notes: If you have any ideas or suggestions for this story, please e-mail me and let me know! I alway take suggestions into consideration when writing my fanfics. You may have an affect on the story's outcome! ^_^ 

Chapter Two: 

Harry stood in a hallway just inside the door of the Weasley house. It was not a mansion, though it was rather large and very nice. Ron was proud of his home, and of his family name. They were a long line of Pure-blood Wizards and Witches who were known for being peaceful, fair-minded people. They did not abuse their power as Pure-bloods, a trait which many higher-class families blamed the family's lack of success upon. Sure, they had plenty of money and a good home, but they were not considered elite. 

Sometimes Ron wished they had more, and that he could get things done by merely stating his name, as many other families could do. But he had decided years ago that he didn't want to be cruel to accomplish this. His parents had taught him well. 

Ginny began undoing the buttons of her robe as she ran up the stairs to her bedroom, emerging minutes later in a thinner, shorter version of it. Midday was approaching and the weather was becoming warmer. She stood beside Ron and waited for their parents to come to the hall and see Harry. 

Ron was busy asking Harry questions, such as "How long have you been blind?" and "Why didn't they cast a vision spell on you as soon as your eyes started to fail you?" 

Harry seemed a little more patient than before, and they wondered if maybe he simply felt more comfortable off the streets and in an actual home. "As far as I know, I was born this way. I didn't even know the problem could be fixed for years, and even then I didn't have a wand or know how to do the spell." 

"I could fix it," Ginny told him. 

"All right then. Fix it." 

Ron blinked. "You can do a spell that complicated?" 

"Of course I can. It's really pretty simple." She stood directly in front of Harry and placed her hands on the sides of his head, right beside his eyes. She whispered something that almost sounded poetic, then stood back and drew her wand. "The first part was just a small charm to direct the spell specifically to your eyes, and to prepare them for what comes next." Ginny spoke a spell loudly, pointing her wand at Harry's face. 

Suddenly Harry felt warmth spread across his entire body. It felt soft and comforting. Then there was light, clear and pure in his eyes. Before, he had only seen small flashes of vision, most often very brief and sometimes in black and white. Now, as he opened his eyes, it seemed as if he were truly seeing the world for the first time. 

Two faces were before him, one slightly familiar. He had seen Ginny in a quick flash as she was being dragged to the pub. Now he could see her very clearly, and see Ron for the first time. He was amazed at how similar they looked, and wondered if they were in fact twins. Flame-colored hair framed each freckled, but soft-lined face. Incredibly dark, shiny eyes peered at him curiously, eager to know the result of Ginny's spell. The only differences Harry could immediately spot was that Ron was much taller than Ginny, and had hair that barely grazed his shoulders whereas Ginny's fell to at least mid-back. Both had a certain innocent beauty to them. 

"Well?" Ron asked, "Did it work or not?" 

"I think so. I can see you two just fine. Are you twins?" 

Ron looked taken aback. "Ginny's a year younger than me! We don't even look alike!" 

"Yes you do. You're nearly identical. Give the girl some stilts and you a wig, no one could tell you apart." 

Ginny laughed at the thought. "What's wrong, Ron? Am I so ugly?" 

Ron was going red, though Harry suspected it was from frustration. "Of course not! I'm just not thrilled to hear someone say I look like a girl." 

Ginny seemed amused. "Maybe he thinks I look like a boy." 

Harry shook his head. "No, no. You're missing the point. Neither of you look like the opposite sex, at least to me. You just look like each other." 

Ron sighed. "That doesn't even make sense." 

"It does to me," Ginny smiled. 

The three of them fell silent when Ron's parents walked in. Harry thought they looked far too casual to be Pure-bloods. Ron's father smiled at him. "So this is Harry?" 

Ginny threw an arm around Harry and nodded. "He's not blind anymore. I fixed that little problem." 

"You did?" their father asked. "That's wonderful. So how do you like your sight, Harry?" 

Harry's eyes shifted reflexively around the room. "It's quite nice, actually. Much better than foggy gray or plain black." 

Ron's mother looked at him kindly. "How old are you, dear?" 

Harry shrugged. "Not sure. I figure eighteen or so." 

"Oh, you're the same age as our Ron." 

Ron looked off to the side, unsuccessfully feigning apathy. 

"And you're Half-blood?" the father asked. 

"Yep." 

"What happened to your parents?" the mother asked. 

"No idea." 

Mrs. Weasley blinked. "Do you even remember them?" 

"Nope." 

Mrs. Weasley said nothing else about it, but her face spoke volumes of pity. 

Mr. Weasley took over from there. "As our household servant, you will have many duties. You will work in the garden and inside the house. You will keep the place up nicely. You will also have many privileges. You'll be provided with a room of your own and all the necessities, like food and robes. You'll also be paid well, and have the freedom to leave whenever you wish. Stay until you earn enough money to support yourself, or continue to work here into old age. As long as your perform your duties, you'll be welcome here." 

Harry stared at him. "It's that simple?" 

Ron's father nodded. 

Harry smiled again, and Ron wondered if anyone else noticed how charmless it was. 

Ginny took hold of Harry's hand. "I'll take you to your room," she told him, half-dragging him up the stairs, "It's just down the hall from mine." 

Ron's eyes became more and more narrow. Suddenly he was imagining Harry creeping into Ginny's room at night, taking advantage of his sister's beauty and softness. He slapped his forehead. He _had_ to stop thinking about the various ways people could sexually assault Ginny. He told himself it was only natural for him to be overprotective of his little sister, but a little nagging voice in his head asked him if protectiveness was all there was to it. 

He could hear Ginny giggling upstairs, and soft footsteps going from room to room. Then words floated down to his ears, of which "Ron's room" could be picked out. "Surely to God she's not taking him in my room," Ron muttered, climbing the stairs quickly. 

He dashed down the hall at the sight of his bedroom door open. Upon arriving in the doorway he found Harry laying across his bed, one ankle crossed over the other and feet swinging along to their own rhythm. Ginny was sitting on the edge of the bed beside him, smiling and laughing. "What the fuck is he doing in my bed?!" Ron screamed, his blood boiling. 

Ginny's smile disappeared. "I was showing him around. It's no big deal, Ron." 

"No big deal?! That… that bum is laying in **my** bed with **my** sister in **my** room! He's a servant for God's sake! He has his own room!" 

Harry stood up and put his hands on his hips. "You're not 'that kind of Pure-blood', right?" 

Ron's mouth draped open, remembering his earlier declaration. "This has nothing to do with you being a Half-blood!" he finally said. 

Harry laughed. "Riiight. Then what does it have to do with? You've had your knickers in a wad ever since Ginny invited me to stay at your house. I suppose you're nice to Half-bloods when you need their help to save your sister's life." 

Ron looked from Harry to Ginny, who was staring at him accusingly. "Ron, tell me that's not what this is about! I thought we all agreed that Half-bloods and Muggle-borns are just the same as us…" 

"I already told you! It has nothing to do with him being Half-blood!" 

Harry laughed again. "Oh, I get it now. You're jealous." 

Ron's face went scarlet. "Of you?! Why the hell would I be jealous of you?!" 

Harry put his arm around Ginny. "Maybe because I'm stealing your little sister right out from under your nose?" 

Ginny blinked. "What do you mean by that?" 

Ron couldn't imagine how he could ever be any redder than he was at that moment. "You're crazy!" Ron yelled, and stormed out of the room, leaving a smirking Harry and a very confused Ginny behind. 

Ron found himself in the garden, sitting in a wooden chair, chin in his palms. He admitted it; he was sulking. He hated the thought of Harry upstairs, alone with Ginny, but how could he stop it without looking like the bad guy? Even he didn't understand why he was so upset with Harry, how could he expect Ginny to understand? The only thing he knew was that something about Harry told him not to trust him. There was something malevolent sparkling in those emerald eyes, something that was beautiful, yet dangerous. He couldn't place it, but he knew it was there. He just wished Ginny could see it. 

Finally Ron decided that he had to pull himself together. Moping around in the garden probably wouldn't help the situation much. All he could do was tolerate Harry until he found out more about him, and what it was that made him seem like bad news. 

He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes as he was walking toward the house. He was stepping a bit faster than usual, and turned a sharp corner around some hedges. He ran right into Harry, who had been instructed to familiarize himself with the garden. The two of them tumbled to the ground in a mess of limbs and tangled robes. The landed awkwardly, Ron on top of Harry and their heads nearly smashed together. It took a moment for Ron to realize that his lips were pressed firmly against Harry's. For almost a full two seconds, Ron was frozen in shock. He'd never kissed a boy before, even if it was on accident, nor had he ever desired to do so. It felt strange, different from kissing a girl. The lips were soft and moist, though strong and firm against his. 

Ron then jerked himself up, staring at Harry in a sort of horrified expression. Harry stood up slowly and dusted himself off. "Make a habit of trying to rape the servants?" 

Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Harry interrupted him. "Or was that an accident? I thought it was at first, but you were awfully slow to pull away." 

Ron was red again. "I was… I was stunned!" 

"Never kissed anyone before?" 

"Never kissed a _boy_ before," Ron corrected. 

"Ah, I see. Should I be flattered that I'm your first?" 

Ron looked at him as if he'd just sprouted a pair of cat ears and long, swishing tail. "It was an accident! We ran into each other! I didn't even know it was you!" 

Harry shrugged and walked on past Ron. "Whatever you say," he muttered, disappearing around another corner. Ron stared after him, his mouth hanging wide open. 

When Ron finally recovered from the shock, he reached up a hand and touched his lips. They were burning hot, from the pressure he assumed, and if he thought about it, he could still feel Harry's lips on them. He decided then to stop thinking about it. He hoped that he could just forget the whole incident, but worried that Harry might mention it to Ginny. How humiliating that would be! He'd have to be very careful from now on. Harry Potter was definitely not a normal boy. 

Note: Someone said in the reviews that Harry is a Pure-blood. Actually, there is some confusion about his status in the books. Two different characters (Hagrid and Tom Riddle) have said that Harry is Half-Blood. No one has said that he is Pure-Blood. Personally, I assumed he was Pure-Blood (without noticing the comments made by Hagrid and Tom) until I read an interesting article about it at the Harry Potter Lexicon. So since it's not really certain whether he is Pure or Half, I decided to make him a Half-blood for this story. 


	3. Important Note

Okay, this is not a new chapter, but a note. I'm very sorry to disappoint anyone who is actually interested in this story, but this is something very important to me. I hope you'll all understand. 

I have discovered that a huge percentage of reviews I've received for this story are not reviews at all. They are in fact comments about Harry's Pure-blood/Half-blood status. This bothers me. I appreciate reviews very much, but comments like these are not reviews. They're just a chance for you to either tell me that I'm wrong, or that I'm right. I do not appreciate such "reviews" and, to be blunt, would rather you simply not review at all than to continue this "discussion". I want my review number to go up because of the quality of my story, not because I've unintentionally started some sort of controversy. 

So when you read my little note at the end of chapter 2 (in which I pointedly did NOT state my view on Harry's status to avoid arguments), and you feel tempted to review just to let me know what you think, just stop. Stop and ask yourself why it matters. Who cares if Harry is Pure or Half? Unless you're Draco Malfoy, it's really quite ridiculous for anyone to care. It's just a fanfic, and an Alternate Universe fanfic at that. So, pay close attention to these words: IT DOESN'T MATTER. 

Now, to be even more blunt, I'll go ahead and say that I think Harry is a Half-blood. Why? Because I found this interesting article at the Harry Potter Lexicon: It seemed very logical to me, and since I really hadn't thought much on the issue beforehand, I was easily convinced. If you're dead-set and determined to believe Harry is a Pure-blood, then do so. It's your business. You may be right. But, honestly, who cares? 

I'm very sorry if I sound mean or rude or whatever. I really don't intend to sound that way. It's just that I get really excited when I get reviews, and then very disappointed when it's just another "Harry is really a pure-blood because...." message. I really love the reviewers who actually talked about the STORY, and didn't even bring up the blood status. It warmed my heart. So if you were one of those people, pat yourself on the back! You're a great person! And if you only reviewed to let me know your opinion on this issue, then I must ask, why review at all? Reviews are for critiquing a story, not for arguing a point. Either that, or I've been horribly misled all this time. 

So in conclusion, if you plan to review to address the blood status, I'd rather you simply didn't. If you feel you MUST argue my point (it's ridiculous, but it happens), then feel free to e-mail me. Otherwise, please refrain from crowding my review page with comments that don't relate to the actual story. Thank you. 

Oh, and as a side note, I'm sorry for taking so long on this fic. I do plan to finish some day, but I've gotten involved in some other projects, and I find myself wondering if anyone actually cares about this fic. Obviously, slash and incest are somewhat unpopular in the HP fandom (or maybe it's just unpopular if it doesn't include Harry/Draco or Sirius/Remus). But look more closely at the title of this story. You may find a little bit of meaning there. 


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three: 

Ginny climbed the steps slowly, dragging her feet and frowning. She was carrying laundry upstairs, to the washing room. It was really Harry's job, but she had decided to help him out with his duties until he was settled in and accustomed to the job. Of course, Ron thought the idea was ridiculous, pointing out that Harry still got paid the same, whether Ginny helped or not. Although she disagreed with her brother, she was beginning to get tired of working. She wasn't used to it, and she wanted nothing more than to spend the remaining days of her summer vacation lounging around the house or shopping. 

Her foot caught on the next step, twisted, and gave way. She reached out an arm, frantically trying to catch hold of the rail and spilling the basket of laundry onto the carpeted steps. She couldn't reach anything, and she felt herself falling backwards. She cried out in terror, slamming her eyes shut. Suddenly a strong hand gripped hers and held her firmly in place. She opened her eyes. 

"Ron!" she exclaimed, surprised to see him. 

He pulled her up the remaining two steps. "See? This is what happens when you start doing the servant's work. You overwork yourself." 

Ginny pulled her hand from his and started collecting the clothes that were scattered along the top four steps. "Maybe I wouldn't overwork myself if you'd help out every now and then." 

Ron sighed and helped her pick up the laundry. "You really need to be more careful, Ginny. Of everything." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"You know what I mean." 

Ginny frowned. "You still think Harry's evil?" 

"Not evil!" Ron said, "Just… devious, somehow. I think he has more on his mind than his job." 

"I should hope so! It's a pretty boring job, you know." 

"I mean, I think he has an ulterior motive." 

Ginny crossed her arms. "And that would be?" 

"I don't know! To rob us? To get you in bed?" 

Ginny laughed out loud. "Why would you think that?" 

"Something he said in the alley made me wonder about him. He said he wouldn't help me, but he'd help you. I never could figure out what he meant by that." 

Ginny looked down. "Actually… I saw him before you rescued me. I caught sight of him as those men were dragging me by. I didn't think he could see me though, since he was obviously blind." 

"Well, he did see you apparently. I wonder what goes through that guy's head." 

Ginny smiled. "Whatever it is, I think it's good. I don't think there's anything bad about him. Just give him a chance, Ron." 

Ron shrugged. "All right, but if he ever does anything suspicious, I'm going straight to dad." 

Ginny kissed his cheek. "And that's why you'll always be my brave knight." 

Ron gave no response, but watched as she walked past him and down the hall. When she was out of sight, he reached up and rubbed his face, where her lips had pressed against his skin. What was it he felt? He couldn't decide that. He told himself he was just a normal big brother, but even his own self-delusions couldn't hold up forever in the face of a huge, blaring truth. But what was the truth? 

He suddenly heard whistling coming from downstairs. He walked over to the railing and peered down, in time to see Harry casually strolling by with one hand in the pocket of his robes and the other holding a half-smoked cigarette. He was whistling, and seemed to be wandering around aimlessly, looking at various paintings and wall hangings. 

Ron watched him for a while, elbows on the rail and his chin resting on his arms. Harry seemed oblivious. He really was a strange boy, Ron decided. He had little regard for rules, as he had been told repeatedly (by Ron) that smoking was not allowed in the house. He was small-framed and pale, almost sickly-looking, but seemed to be in perfect health. He was very curious too, looking and staring at everything. Ron blamed this on Harry's former state of blindness, which made sense. And then those eyes. Oh, those eyes. They were the color of the freshest, healthiest lawn of grass in a springtime field. The greenest green Ron had ever beheld. 

Finally Harry's roving eyes drifted upward, where he spotted Ron. "Spying on me again?" he asked, walking up the stairs. 

Ron didn't move himself from the comfortable position of leaning against the rail. "Yeah, this is the best possible thing I can do with my time – spy on a lazy servant." 

"Apparently so. Every time I see you, you're staring at me. I'd almost think you were the one who spent your life blind." 

Ron shrugged. "Why don't you get back to work? You lay around the house all day, smoking and giggling with Ginny. That's not what we pay you for." 

Harry smiled. "Don't you mean to say, that's not what _your father_ pays me for?" 

Ron glared at him. "Look, you may have everyone else in the house thinking you're a saint, but you're not fooling me. I can see right through you!" 

"Probably can by now, actually. You stare at me enough." 

Ron reddened. "Are you aware of how annoying you are?" 

Harry smiled again. "Sure am. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a bath, or do you want to watch me do that too?" 

Ron's shade of red deepened. "Of course not!" 

"I don't mind. I'm not ashamed of myself, especially now that I can actually see how impressive I am." 

Ron's jaw dropped. He'd never seen someone so arrogant in his life, and a Half-blood at that! 

Harry was grinning. "No? Maybe I'll ask Ginny then…" 

Before Harry could even comprehend what had happened, Ron had lunged forward and shoved him roughly against the nearest wall, using his own body to pin Harry back while his hands held fist-fulls of Harry's robes. "You leave Ginny the hell alone! If you lay one fucking finger on her, I'll permanently blind you myself, when I gouge out your eyes!" 

Harry seemed unfazed, returning Ron's glare with those emerald eyes that Ron found so unnerving. "You know, it's not that wise to reveal your weak spot so easily." 

"What?" 

"Your weak spot. It's Ginny. If you really think I'm a threat, you should be more careful about things like this." His mater-of-fact tone made the conversation suddenly seem very awkward. 

"And…" Harry said, letting his voice trail as his right hand snaked between the two of them, moving toward Ron's crotch and resting there, "here's another obvious weak spot. You're about to stab me to death with that thing." 

Ron jumped back so quickly that he almost lost his balance and fell. "You're insane!" he yelled. 

"Hey, it's not my fault if you get turned on every time our bodies come into contact." Harry straightened out his robes. "And I'm assuming the same thing happens with Ginny. How long do you think it'll be before she notices?" 

Ron was speechless. He just stared at Harry with a look of horror. Somehow, in the short time they'd been together, Harry had figured him out completely, even figured out things that Ron himself didn't realize. "You…. I…." 

Harry grinned. "When you grow up on the streets blind, you have to learn quick how to be a good judge of character. You have to know who's dangerous, and who's not." 

Ron nodded, slight comprehension edging it's way into his brain. "But still, you don't have to act like this! What is it that you really want from us?" 

Harry looked at him curiously. "I want a place to stay, off the streets. What else _would_ I want?" 

"I don't know! But I know you want something! And I'll figure it out before long!" 

"Right, right. Whatever you say," Harry said, walking away and waving his hand dismissively. 

Ron frowned. He was back at square one. He wondered if he'd ever be able to figure out that boy. He knew Harry had some sort of secret. Perhaps a very dark one. Which made him a potential threat to their home. But, despite Ron's initial assumptions, he now couldn't make himself believe that Harry had bad intentions. He'd promised Ginny that he'd give Harry a chance, and he intended to keep that promise. But he also promised himself that he'd keep a watchful eye on Harry, and that he would protect Ginny from harm, no matter what the cost. 

Author's Notes: Okay, now that I've read book five, you may want to be a little careful in reading further chapters if you haven't read it yourself. I don't plan on throwing in any spoilers (this is an AU fic, after all) but I can't promise that I won't throw anything in that doesn't relate to the events in book 5. This is just a precautionary warning. Also, for those who have read book 5, I hope the matter of Harry's blood status has been cleared up. As I suspected, he IS a Half-blood. Book 5 was quite clear on this. 

Anyway, I want to discuss Harry's characterization in this story. This Harry is a different Harry from what we see in the books. He's a Harry who grew up on the mean streets, persecuted and spat on for being a Half-blood. Therefore, he's a bit edgier. Though, with his behavior in book 5, I doubt he's a whole lot edgier. ^^; This Harry is more cunning though, because he has a specific purpose (which will eventually be revealed) and didn't have close friends from the age of eleven. Ron and Ginny aren't TOO different though, I hope. 

And to end this note, I want to clear up some things. A lot of people have been asking questions about Nobody's Girl, such as when I'm going to start writing the direct sequel to that story, or if Draco and Hermione will appear in this one. Here are my plans, for those of you who don't know. The first story was Nobody's Girl, as you all know. The second story is this one. The third story will be about Draco and Hermione again, five years down the road (and, as a matter of fact, I've already started work on it). The fourth story will go back in time, like a prequel and basically explain how this world turned out like it did (and feature James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Snape, etc.). The fifth, and last multi-chaptered one, will go back to where I left off in the third story and continue from there. I may write some one-shots here and there and in between, and I invite anyone else to contact me if they want to write one (or even a multi-chaptered one) taking place in this alternate universe. I'd really love to see what another author could do with this idea (because there are so many great ones out there). Just please be sure to contact me first. So, try to enjoy this story. I know a lot of you don't like slash or incest, but part of my purpose with this storyline is to make something that those who enjoy slash AND het can enjoy. So, bear with me. Also, as to Draco and Hermione appearing, well… you'll get your answer to that next chapter. And remember that I love long reviews pointing out what I did wrong, what I did right, and what you want to read in the future! It really does matter to me! 


	5. Chapter Four

Ron, Ginny, and Harry walked down the crowded streets of London, where once Muggles covered the area, and Wizards hid in the shadows. But that was not to last. Now, there were Wizards and Witches wherever they looked, and not a Muggle to be seen. Of course, they were all dead. 

Ginny led the way, Ron and Harry behind her, carrying several bags. Ginny was shopping for new dress robes, something she had forgotten on her last trip to town mere days ago. But just because she had a specific item to search for did not mean she couldn't pick up several others along the way, much to Ron's dismay. "Couldn't you use some new boots?" she called over her shoulder to him. 

Ron shook his head. "I'm fine. Just hurry." 

"I could use some new boots," said Harry, who was repositioning three full bags to hang them over his shoulder. 

Ginny stopped and turned around. "That's right! You need lots of things, don't you? We could get you some new robes, a decent cloak, some boots… Hey! How about a wand?" 

Ron looked frantically from Ginny to Harry, who was nodding with every item she named. "Hold on a minute! He hasn't earned enough to afford all that yet! Maybe some boots but…" 

"I'll loan him the money," Ginny said. 

"But a wand? He doesn't even know magic! He's past school age anyway. And then there's the fact that it's against the law for Half-bloods to do magic. Do you want him to end up in Azkaban?" 

Ginny bypassed Ron and continued talking to Harry. "You can just pay me back in weekly payments, all right?" 

Harry nodded, ignoring Ron's further protests. "Sounds great. Let's get some boots first. My feet are killing me in these shitty shoes." 

Ron looked down, realizing that he'd never noticed Harry's shoes before. They were indeed very poor shoes. There were holes all through them, and the soles were extremely thin. Harry had been wearing some of the former servant's robes, though they were rather large on him. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to buy him a few things like that. But a wand? 

Their first stop was a shoe shop. Harry walked around, not looking half as impressed as Ron expected. He finally picked out an expensive pair made of dragon skin. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Ginny elbowed him and told Harry to try them on. They were a perfect fit, and Harry bought them. They next went to a robes shop, where Harry picked out two high-quality robes. One had red trim, the other was solid black. They looked beautiful hanging over those dragon skin boots. He also bought a traveling cloak. 

"It's going to take you forever to pay Ginny back for all this stuff, you know," Ron told Harry as they left the store. Ginny gave him a dirty look and Harry ignored him. 

Ginny was still leading the way, but she stopped suddenly, and Ron ran into her back. "What is it?" he said, looking past her. "Oh…" 

A tall man in a silk, green-trimmed cloak was standing a few feet away. He had long white-blonde hair and a very proud expression. He was talking to a few more prominent looking men. Lingering behind him was a boy with shorter white-blonde hair and icy eyes. There was a large bandage on the left side of his face, and beneath the long, billowing sleeves of his cloak they could see bandages along his fingers. He was looking at the ground with narrowed eyes. 

"Oh my gosh…." Ginny whispered. 

Harry leaned around and looked at the boy. He looked back up at Ron, who was frowning. "Who's that?" he asked, with only a small hint of detached curiosity in his voice and he stepped around, closer to Ginny. 

"Just some rich snotty git I went to school with," Ron answered him, "Name's Malfoy. We graduated from Hogwarts together, but he was in a different school house than me. He was always bragging about how rich his family was, always surrounded by a gang of admirers. Always mouthing off too. We didn't get along, needless to say." 

Harry shrugged, turning his attention to Ginny, who was staring at the boy with amazement. "The rumors were true then!" she said breathlessly. 

"What rumors?" Ron asked. 

"I was in a shop the other day before I got kidnapped, and I ran into some friends. They told me there was a rumor that Malfoy had a Muggle-born slave over the summer." 

Ron snorted. "Sounds like the Malfoys all right." 

"No, no, here's the interesting part. Rumor has it that Malfoy let the slave go, that she was a really pretty girl around his age, and he wanted to marry her! The problem was that his father didn't approve, and planned to kill the slave, so that's why Malfoy had to set her free! His father was so angry that Malfoy was punished severely! They said he was hurt real bad, and look at all those bandages! It must have been true!" 

Ron looked back at Malfoy. "You've gotta be kidding! Malfoy hated Muggle-borns worse than anyone else in the school!" 

Harry looked slightly more interested. "Well, you know, those of us with Muggle-blood are always more tempting to those who hate us." 

Ron and Ginny looked at him. "What do you mean?" Ron asked. 

"Think about it. They hate us, but at the same time they're fascinated by us. And then there's the fact that they know they can't have us, sexually at least. It'd be a scandal they'd never be able to escape. You know how it is, everyone wants what they can't have. Your pal Malfoy probably fell into the same trap." 

Ron and Ginny both looked enlightened. Ginny's face lit up. "Let's go talk to him!" 

"Why?" Ron asked with a groan. 

"Just to see if he mentions anything about it." 

"Why would he? It's not like we're on friendly terms with him. He barely spoke to us all through school, and when he did it was a snide remark." 

Ginny blinked. "Who cares? I just want to see, okay? You never know when he might let something slip." And she hurried over to him. She approached him quietly, then waved when he looked up. He looked faintly surprised, then looked back down. "Hey, Malfoy! How've you been?" she asked. 

Malfoy looked at her suspiciously. "What do you want?" he asked. 

"Can't old school mates have a chat every now and then? I was just wondering how you've been doing." 

Malfoy glared at her. "Like it's any of your business." 

Harry and Ron had approached. Malfoy looked over to Harry, who was looking back at him with an odd sort of smile. "Don't tell me the Weasleys actually bought a slave," he said, gesturing toward Harry. 

"He's not a slave," Ginny said simply, "He's a servant. He's a Half-blood." 

Malfoy looked mildly amused. "And you let him walk about freely on the streets in fancy clothes? Typical of your lot, I suppose." 

Harry grinned. "So what happened to you?" he asked, "Looks like you've been put through a meat grinder." 

Ron and Ginny glanced back at Harry in surprise. They didn't think even _he_ would be that blunt. But it was true. Upon closer inspection they could see many fading gashes and lines along his face and even along what was visible of his neck. 

Malfoy's eyes became increasingly narrow. "Weasley, your servant is speaking to me. Haven't you taught him any manners?" 

Harry crossed his arms. "Oh, come on. It's a simple question. You've obviously been torn to hell by something. What happened?" 

Malfoy was glaring dangerously. "Explain to me, Half-blood, why my affairs are any of your business." 

Harry was still grinning. "We're curious, that's all. Why? Is it something to be ashamed of? Something… _scandalous_?" 

Ron and Ginny were both looking between the two boys. Ginny certainly hadn't intended for this to happen. A confrontation between the two most sarcastic people she had ever met was actually turning out to be entertaining. She couldn't deny that she was enjoying watching Malfoy's eyes glitter with anger. After all, she couldn't forget that time in the hallway at Hogwarts… 

Something interrupted her thoughts. Malfoy had stepped closer to Harry and had one hand inside his robes, as if ready to draw his wand. Harry hadn't budged, and was still smiling. "Touchy about that, are we?" Harry asked, his voice getting louder as people began to stop and watch, "Well, maybe the next time you start fucking a Mudblood you'll be a little more discreet." 

Malfoy looked positively murderous. He had his wand drawn and pointed at Harry in a second. "I'll fuck whoever the hell I want. You have three seconds to get out of my sight." 

Harry still didn't move, and it took Ginny and Ron both to drag him away from Malfoy, who kept his wand pointed squarely at Harry's chest until the three of them rounded a corner. 

Harry dusted off his new robes calmly. "Charming fellow," he said. 

"You really should be careful, Harry. It's not illegal to use most curses on Half-bloods. He could've hexed you bad and we couldn't have done anything about it," Ginny told him. 

Harry laughed, a very hollow, empty sound that sounded anything but amused. "Don't worry. I'm not concerned about being cursed. Do you have any idea how many times someone's cursed me, just for being in their line of vision? I think I've developed an immunity to curses by now." 

"Is that possible?" Ron asked, blinking. 

Ginny shrugged at him then turned to Harry. "For my sake, okay? Don't get yourself hurt. I'd be really upset if you did." 

Ron rolled his eyes. Ginny was getting far too attached to Harry, he could tell. But what could he do to stop it? Perhaps he could pay Harry off, give him all the money he could get his hands on and demand that he never show his face around them again. It seemed like a good idea, but would Harry go for it? Somehow Ron sensed that he was after more than money. 

Oddly, Harry turned and looked at Ron over his shoulder. He smirked, throwing an arm around Ginny. "For _your_ sake, I'll be careful." His face was close to Ginny's, dangerously close. "You know," he said glancing back at Ron briefly, then returning his gaze to Ginny, "I think I'm starting to figure out why redheads are in such demand in the skin trade. You're really beautiful, you know that?." 

Ginny blushed visibly and smiled. "Oh, you're such a flirt, Harry!" 

Ron's brows knitted together. "You two are far too friendly. You're practically fucking each other with your eyes." 

Ginny frowned at him. "Watch your language, Ron! What sort of brother talks like that in front of his young, virginal sister?" There was a hint of a smile tugging at Ginny's lips as she spoke. 

Harry looked sharply at Ginny. "You're a virgin?" he asked, as if he'd never even considered it before, "Now I'm really interested!" 

Ron looked at Harry the way Malfoy had, eyes reduced to slits of anger. "What did I tell you about touching Ginny?" he yelled. 

Harry scratched his head. "Something about gouging out my eyes if I lay one fucking finger on her, I believe." 

Ginny said "Ron!" and slapped him on the shoulder only hard enough to let him know she was angry. 

Ron swatted her hand away. "He's a dirty little pervert, Ginny! D'you know what he said to me in the hall yesterday? He asked me to take a bath with him! A _bath_!" 

Harry shrugged. "Hey, I was just asking. What's wrong with that?" 

Ginny laughed loudly, a soft girlish laugh that sounded more like a giggle. "Oh Ron, he was obviously joking! Lighten up, okay?" 

Ron forced himself to nod as Ginny smiled and turned back around. She began leading the way again, toward the wand shop. Harry followed closely behind her, pausing only once to look back at Ron with a triumphant grin, as if to say "Haha! I won her over!" Ron glared at his back through strands of soft scarlet hair, hoping and praying that the other boy would simply burst into flames if he stared long enough. This wish was not granted, however, and all Ron could do was follow and keep an eye on him, and hope to catch him up in something that even Ginny would have to believe. 

Author's Notes: Thanks very much for the reviews. I'm going to give it my best shot to get the chapters out faster. I'm also going to take a suggestion from a reviewer and *attempt* to make the chapters longer. I try to make all the chapters at least three pages. But I'm going to try and change that to four or more. Thanks for the support, and please feel free to e-mail me anytime if you have questions about the story or future stories in this series. I also CONSIDER requests (though I do not promise to write them) of one-shots. Particularly odd pairings. Thanks for reading! 


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five 

Notes: WARNING! This chapter gets a bit racier than the others. There is something of a slash sex scene here (though it's not too bad, I don't think, maybe even disappointing, depending on your standards). Please keep this warning in mind as you read! 

Harry dropped his cigarette onto the soft soil of the garden and stomped it with the toe of his dragon skin boot. He shrugged his shoulders and pulled his robes tighter around himself. It was summer, but the foggy, sunless mornings were still chilly. 

He looked up at the Weasley house, a three story brick home with a wide range of property on all sides. Nice, but not too nice. It was, after all, what he expected from the Weasleys. Their name reached farther than Ron knew, as even Harry had heard of this long line of Pure-blood Wizards and Witches, well-to-do people who were infamous Muggle-sympathizers. And the current head of the family had worked at the Ministry of Magic for years. They were, in short, the perfect family for Harry. 

He walked the path toward the house, knowing it was still too early for anyone else to be awake. He'd bided his time the past few days to determine how long they slept every morning. He knew exactly when each of them awoke, how long it took them to dress and make it downstairs, and where they each headed after breakfast. Timed just right, he could accomplish his goal this very morning. He still had to stay a few more weeks, even after that, to earn enough money to make it to his destination. 

He had told himself that he wouldn't act until the last day, because if he got caught and fired before he made enough money, all his work would be for nothing. But Harry was too anxious. He was so close to that which he'd yearned for all his life that he couldn't wait any longer. He had to act today. 

He walked silently yet quickly through the main hall, crept up the stairs to the second floor and down the narrow pathway to the last two doors, one on each side. In one of these was Mr. Weasley's study. Harry's wandering had enabled him to map out the entire house, but only these two rooms were continuously closed. It had to be one of them. And Harry had to get inside the study. 

He quickly checked the one on the left first, having no time to waste on thinking it out. He pulled out his newly acquired wand, mentally thanking Ginny at the same time, and whispered "Alohamora!" The lock clicked and Harry walked on in. 

It was not the study, Harry discovered, but what seemed to be a storage room. He turned swiftly, he didn't have the time to look around. But what was that piece of parchment sticking out of the third drawer down in that old dresser? Curiosity got the better of him, and Harry hurried over and pulled the parchment out. It was a letter, obviously written in haste, to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Harry only skimmed it, since he knew the time was drawing near when the Weasleys would begin awakening and making their way downstairs. He only caught bits and pieces, but the words "escape successful" and "we'll never be caught again" stuck out to him. Then that last line, scribbled with obvious determination and speed, would prove hard to forget: "When everything ends, you'll see us again." 

"When everything ends?" Harry whispered to himself, "What the hell does that mean?" 

He would've liked to have finished reading the letter, but judging from it's jumbled placement in the drawer, it was probably taken out and read often, as if a reminder to the Weasley parents that someone was still alive, still out there, still safe. There was no name at the end, no return address, and no real clues as to the identity of the writer, or what relationship they had to the Weasleys, but Harry could tell it was someone special to them. Taking the letter to read later would be dangerous, as its absence would probably be noticed before he could return it. 

Harry replaced the letter, leaving a corner of it sticking out of the drawer, and left the room. He went to the other door and opened it the same way. He sighed in relief when he was sure it was indeed the study. He looked around the wall, which was lined with shelves and books. "All right, Mr. Weasley," Harry whispered, "where do you keep your Ministry files?" 

The top shelf was all books, most looking very old. Harry thought they seemed like history books. Some even looked Muggle in nature. The second and third shelves were full of leather bound papers. Each had a label which had a letter of the alphabet. Harry scanned them with his eyes until he found the one labeled "P". He pulled it from the shelf and thumbed through it. It was mostly information on events, but a few people came up. The majority of the information was probably useless, old, and out-dated. It was probably public knowledge to those who'd been around at the time. Finally Harry came to a page with the heading "Potter, James", and pulled the open book from the desk into his lap. His eyes ran hungrily across the page. There wasn't much, but even the slightest bit of information seemed incredible to Harry. 

"James Potter, wealthy Pure-blood Wizard and top-scoring graduate from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Sentenced to fifty years in Azkaban prison. See: Muggle-born Affairs, Evans, Lily." 

Harry reached into the inner pocket of his robes and pulled out a tiny cylinder glass tube. He clutched it in his hand. _So, my father was sent to Azkaban…_

He closed the book and pushed it back onto the shelf. He traced his way back and found the book labeled "E". He pulled it out and flipped through to the page titled "Evans, Lily". This page had more writing, but it was very faded and smudged, and Harry could only make out the first few words. "Lily Evans, Muggle-born female, registered to James Potter." 

"Registered?" Harry muttered, focusing his eyes on the following words but making out none of it. "Damn it! It's too smudged!" 

His mind raced as he replaced the book. _She was registered to my father? Registered? That couldn't mean she was his… _

Harry's thoughts broke off. The door to the study had flown open, and Ron was standing in the doorway. "Just what the hell are you doing in my father's study?!" 

Harry looked at Ron, then at the books on the shelves. The "M" book, for "Muggle-born Affairs" blared at him from it's place. _Shit._

"This is your father's study?" Harry asked, as if he had no idea. 

Ron folded his arms across his chest, a knowing look on his face. "Don't try to lie your way out of this. You've been caught red-handed. You had to do magic to get in here in the first place, and I'm not even going to ask where you learned it. As soon as I tell dad, you'll be out of here." 

Harry frowned. He considered his options. He could dash out of the room, run right into Ginny and tell her Ron forced him at wand-point to go into their father's study and dig around, so that he could frame him for pilfering and have him thrown out. But that story had many holes in it, and Ginny would probably spot them. He could do some fancy spell work and stun Ron until he could get out of the study, then erase Ron's memory of this morning. But would Ron draw faster than him? And if Ron saw Harry reaching for his wand, would Ron hold back? He didn't know the boy long enough to make a judgment that left so much at risk, and after all, it was perfectly legal for a Pure-blood to execute a Half-blood in their employment. 

_Shit!_ Harry thought again. He had only one option left, and that was to persuade Ron not to tell on him. He slumped his shoulders, doing his best to look ashamed of himself. "I know. I know you caught me. I know I shouldn't be in here." 

Ron blinked, surprised at this sudden display of humbleness. "So, what _are_ you doing in here?" 

Harry lowered his eyes. "Well, the truth is, I wanted to find out about my sister." 

Ron's eyes went wide. "You have a sister?" 

"Yeah, she's a couple years younger than me, but I lost her a few years ago. I was hoping your dad may have some information on her in his files, since he works for the Ministry and all." 

Ron looked at him with very questioning eyes. "Why didn't you just ask him? He would've told you." 

Harry thought _Damn it! Who would've guessed this guy had any brains?_ "Well… I… I haven't talked much to him, and I was afraid he'd think I was a pest and wouldn't look into it." 

Ron looked extremely suspicious. "But why didn't you-" 

Ron was silenced very suddenly when Harry rushed forward and pressed his lips against his. Harry pushed him against the nearest wall, the way Ron had done to him only days ago upstairs. Harry held the kiss for a long time, nothing moving except for tongues. _Forget!_ Harry mentally commanded, _Forget about all this, damn it!_

Ron was too shocked to even move. He just stared at Harry, who's eyes were also open. But somehow, it didn't feel embarrassing or even awkward. It just felt good. 

Harry finally broke the kiss and looked up at Ron. "You don't want to have me thrown out, do you?" 

Ron was still frozen. He opened his mouth again but nothing would come out. There was nothing _to_ come out. 

Harry went on. "Look, I know you're a nice guy. A little rough around the edges, but still a nice guy over all. You don't want me living in a pile of trash in the dark side of London, do you?" 

Ron was still silent, staring at Harry. 

"And I also know that you're attracted to me. I mean, let's face it," Harry said, gesturing with his eyes toward Ron's crotch, "it's pretty damn obvious." 

Ron regained his voice. "You're right, I guess. Ginny would probably never forgive me if I had you thrown out." 

Harry grinned. "See? It works to both our benefit to simply keep this whole thing to ourselves. I've already looked through the files, and there's nothing in there on my sister. I've done what I wanted to do, so I won't be coming back in here. I swear." 

Ron sighed. "Okay. I won't tell anyone." 

Harry smiled again, his eyes seeming somehow more brilliant in the patches of sunlight now pouring in through the window. "Let me show you some gratitude." 

He reached up and pulled Ron's face down to his, then kissed him again. This time it was softer, slower, more deliberate. Ron seemed frozen again, but still had his voice. 

"No, you don't have to do this…" 

Harry took a breath. Maybe Ron was stupid after all. Why did he make such a big deal out of everything? It's not like Harry hadn't done this before. He'd done _many_ things with _many_ people, male and female, over the years. And occasionally it was even by choice. He'd never denied that Ron was a fairly good looking guy, with that soft red hair falling all the way past his chin, a smooth face, and a tall but lithe frame. If only those freckles weren't there, Ron could be considered very handsome. He was certainly far better than most of the men Harry had been with. 

Harry reached down to the hem of Ron's pajama top and moved his hands inside it, up Ron's torso and to his chest. "I'm not going to make an offer like this again, Ron. If you want me, take off these clothes. If you don't, just say the word. I mean, why not? We're both hard now and…" 

Ron stared at him. "We can't…. not in here. Someone will see us." 

Harry looked up at a clock on the wall. "Don't worry, the next person to wake up will be Ginny, and that's in half an hour. She doesn't even stop at the second floor when she's walking down to the kitchen." 

Ron wondered about this in the back of his mind, but right now he was concentrating more on Harry's hands, which were making their way back down to the waistband of his pants. Ron shuddered slightly when Harry's hands moved down inside them. "All right." 

Harry's eyes darted to Ron's. "Wait… you're not a virgin, are you?" 

Ron shook his head. "Of course not! I've just never… been with a guy…" Ron was blushing. 

Harry laughed. "A straight guy, huh? What is it with me then?" 

Ron frowned. "No fucking idea." 

Harry found Ron's cock and wrapped his hands around it. "Whoa…" he whispered, moving them back and forth. 

Ron's eyes had slid shut, but he opened them again. "Whoa what?" 

Harry grinned. "It's true what they say about tall guys then." 

Ron's face became red again. "Oh…. I guess so. I mean… I didn't really have anything to… you know, compare it to." 

Harry leaned in close, his lips close to Ron's ear. "We'll fix that." 

Harry began lowering himself to the ground, pulling Ron with him. Soon Ron was on his back on the floor and Harry was leaning over him. He pulled down Ron's pants, shot a glance back at Ron's face, then wrapped his mouth around Ron's cock. 

Ron's whole body stiffened. He'd never felt like this before. He'd had this before, but it felt so different somehow. Harry seemed like an expert, and Ron wondered idly if he should be impressed or disturbed by this. Suddenly Ron found himself imagining Harry as a child, cowering in an alley way while a gang of Pure-blood Wizard thugs approached, eager to use him for whatever they wanted. 

Ron suddenly felt sick, and he reached down and pushed Harry away from him. Was he no better than people like that? Was he using Harry, his servant, for sex? Sure, Harry had initiated it, but he'd said something about showing his gratitude. Was he only doing this to keep Ron from telling on him? 

Harry looked at him, emerald eyes glowing in the shadows between rays of sunshine. "What's wrong?" he asked. 

Ron stared back. "I can't do this. I'm sorry, Harry. I just… can't. I won't tell my father about this morning. I promise." 

Harry was silent for a few moments. "I know you won't. You already said that." 

"Yeah, well, I wanted you to be sure. I have to go back upstairs. Ginny'll be awake in a few minutes and she'll wonder why I'm up so early." 

"Why are you up so early?" 

Ron was pulling up his pants and looking sheepish. "I, er, had a bad dream. Couldn't get back to sleep." 

Harry looked strange. "You're still hard. Want a hand-" 

"I can take care of it," Ron said quickly. 

"Well, _I'm_ still hard." 

Ron blinked at him. "Sorry, I really have to get upstairs." And he was gone. 

Harry absently stood up and scratched the back of his head, wondering what had just happened. _Great,_ he thought, walking out of the room and closing it behind him, _now I have to go upstairs and jack off._

Notes: To be continued! :D As I've said before, feel free to contact me by e-mail or AIM (archichan) if you have any questions/suggestions/complaints/etc. I DO listen and I most definitely DO care! ^_^ 


	7. Chapter Six

Seldom Tread Paths 

Chapter Six: 

Ginny Weasley was smarter than she looked, that was to be sure of. She knew something was going to happen, something major and possibly life-changing, the morning Harry approached her in the garden, while the fog was still dense and the sun was barely beginning to rise into the shadowed sky. 

"I'm going," he had told her, "and I'm not sure if I'll ever be back." 

Ginny had been surprised, but she bit her lip. She had no right to command him to stay. He was a servant, not a slave. "Can I ask why?" 

"It's a long story, one you probably wouldn't understand. I just… I have to find someone, okay? Someone who has answers for me." 

Ginny looked down. The ground was moist and soft. Her slippered feet were unsteady and she clung to the cloth belt that held her lavender robe around her body. It was cold. "Okay. I understand. Have you told father? Or Ron?" 

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry but, can you do that for me?" 

She nodded. "I just wish you could've stayed a little longer." 

Harry sat down his small bag on the ground beside his feet. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Maybe I'll come back, after this is over. I can't make any promises though." 

"And I suppose I can't come with you?" 

"Nope, you sure can't. This is a personal thing." 

Ginny smiled. "All right then. I'll wait for you. I'll come out here to the garden every morning until I see you again." 

Harry smiled back, then leaned in to kiss her on the lips. It was a brief, gentle kiss, one shared by two people who knew they could have been more, if only the circumstances were different. 

Ginny said nothing as he picked up his bag and walked away, his back fading into the fog as he disappeared. She turned around, crossing her arms and frowning. "You can come out now, Ron." 

A couple of bushes toward the back of the garden rustled and Ron stepped out sheepishly. "So you knew I was there the whole time?" 

Ginny sighed. "Of course I did. Harry probably knew too. What are you doing out here?" 

Ron was dusting leaves from his robes. "I heard him come out of his room this morning, so I followed him out here." 

"And you decided to duck into the bushes when you realized he was meeting me out here?" 

"Yeah, that's pretty much it." 

Ginny finally smiled. "You're so easy, Ron." 

"So he's really gone, huh?" 

"Yep. Guess you got your wish." 

Ron walked up beside her. "Not really… I was finally getting used to him." 

Ginny poked at him playfully. "You were not! You were always scheming to get rid of him!" 

Ron dodged her jabbing finger. "Okay, I was at first. But trust me… if I'd wanted to get rid of him, I could have a week ago." 

Ginny stopped suddenly. "Oh really? How?" 

"I caught him in dad's study," said Ron, "going through his books and stuff. Said he was looking for his lost little sister." 

Ginny froze. "So that's who he's looking for? We should help him!" 

Ron frowned. "Why? How?" 

Ginny walked over to the stone bench and sat down. She folded her hands in her lap. "Harry was our friend, wasn't he? Maybe we didn't come out and say it, but he was. When a friend needs help, why shouldn't we do everything we can?" 

Ron sat down beside her. "But how can we? We don't know where he's heading, or what he plans to do when he gets there." 

"We can follow him. He's not gone far by now. Of course, we'll have to pack some things and get some money…" 

Ron stood up. "And how are we going to explain this to mom and dad? You go back to school in three days, Ginny!" 

Ginny stood up too, and started walking toward the house. "It shouldn't take long to find her. And it won't hurt me to miss a few days. We'll just leave a note for mom and dad." 

"Just a note?! Mom would have a heart attack," Ron yelled, following her, "We can't pull something like this off… mom can't handle another incident like Fred and George!" 

Ginny whirled around to face him. "Fred and George did what they believed was right! We should be proud of them! I don't care what mom says. I don't even care what you say! I care about Harry, and I want to help him. Why is this such a big deal?" 

Ron sighed. "Okay. If you feel that way… we'll go. Let's just hurry, alright?" 

Ginny smiled, and her entire face lit up. The two of them hurried into the house to pack some things and prepare for their trip. They each tucked their wands into their robes and slung their bags onto their shoulders before leaving the house. As she walked out the door, Ginny placed a folded piece of parchment on the floor, and they were off. 

They followed in the direction Harry had left, until they came to Diagon Alley. At this early hour, the street wasn't very crowded, so they looked back and forth as they made their way along the road. Finally Ron caught sight of Harry's form disappearing into the dark side of town, and motioned for Ginny. The two of them rushed to follow Harry, ignoring the memory of how dangerous the place could be. 

They trailed behind him, occasionally trying to get his attention from their distance, until they saw him enter the pub that Ginny had been taken into during their first visit to the area. They walked quickly to the door, and pushed inside. They scanned the room, wondering where Harry went, but both of them went still when they saw the back of his head, sitting across from a dark and dangerous looking wizard. 

Ron motioned for Ginny to stay quiet, and they slipped into chairs beside a table that sat just behind Harry. They pulled their hoods down over their faces and listened. Ginny looked at Ron curiously, as if to ask why they weren't talking to Harry. Ron didn't have to answer. 

"I know you're the one who gave it to me," they heard Harry say, "and now I know what it says." 

The older wizard slumped back into his seat. "Do you now, boy? And how did that come about?" 

"I got my sight back, that's how. Now I need you to give me some answers." 

The other man grinned. "I'm assuming you want to know about your parents? I thought you'd be able to figure it all out on your own. That's why I gave you that." 

Ginny glanced at the man, who was pointing directly to the a small pendant hanging from Harry's neck. She wondered why she'd never noticed it before. 

Harry reflexively touched it. "Why didn't you just tell me? Why did you have to leave my parents' names written inside the necklace?" 

The old wizard glared at Harry. "The same reason I didn't raise you. The same reason I put you out the day you turned four. The same reason I hate the very sight of you now. Because that's all I owed your father! I did only what was necessary. The rest is none of my business." 

Harry leaned across the table. "You know, I don't care how much you hated my father. I'm not even going to ask you why. All I want to know is how I can find him! And if you don't tell me, Snape, I'll tear off your head the same way I'd pluck a rose from a vine!" 

Snape shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable. "You'll never see your father, not matter what I tell you. He's in Azkaban, and the only way a Half-blood can get to Azkaban is by being sentenced there." 

Harry leaned back into his seat. "They don't allow visitors?" 

"Never have," Snape said, smiling his wicked smile. 

"Why was he sent to Azkaban?" 

"That, boy, would be something you'll have to ask him." 

"You're saying you don't know?" Harry asked, annoyed. 

"I'm saying I can't tell you. That's a long and tragic story. A story I made myself forget." 

Harry took a deep breath. "All right. But you have to have some idea how I can get to Azkaban. You used to have power, didn't you? You used to have influence." 

Snape looked down. "That was a long time ago. The only one who can help you get into Azkaban is an old friend of your father's. His name is Sirius Black. He once escaped from Azkaban himself. If anyone knows how to navigate that place, it's him." 

Harry leaned forward suddenly. "How can I find him?" 

Snape laughed. "That's easy. He's rotting in a cave a few miles east. That man gave up on life a long time ago. If you can get something coherent out of him, you'll be lucky." 

Harry stood up and pulled his hood over his face. "I'll find him, and he _will_ help me find my father." Harry started to turn, but looked back at the other wizard. "And Snape… I know you hated my father, and he probably hated you. But you owed him a debt for some reason. Consider that debt paid… in full." 

Snape said nothing, but nodded slowly, his eyes on Harry. 

When Harry turned, he was surprised to see Ron and Ginny's faces peering at him from beneath hoods. The sight was strange, yet he wanted to laugh at how ridiculous the two of them looked, trying to be sneaky. "What are you two doing here?" 

They both laughed nervously. "We were looking for you," Ginny said. 

"I already told you," said Harry, "This is personal. You'll just get into trouble." 

Ron stood up from the table. "Okay, you were obviously lying about the whole sister thing, right? It's your parents you're looking for. You once helped me get back someone I was desperate to find. Now we can return the favor." 

Harry started at him, surprised. "Wow, I didn't know you cared so much, Ron." 

Ron immediately went red. "Well… you know… I kinda owe you… and Ginny wanted to…" 

Harry looked at Ginny, who was smiling brightly. "We're your friends, Harry. Friends help each other out." 

Harry grinned. "Never had a friend before. But I guess it'd be nice." 

Ginny stood up. "Of course it's nice." 

Harry looked at both of them. "It might be dangerous. Breaking into Azkaban won't be a picnic. They might decide to keep us." 

Ron and Ginny looked at each other. "Actually…" Ginny began. 

"We know someone who escaped from Azkaban too," Ron finished. 

Harry lead them to another table near the back and sat down. "Tell me about it." 

Ron and Ginny sat down too. "Did you know we have lots of older brothers?" Ginny asked. 

Harry shook his head. 

"Two of them are twins, Fred and George. They were always goofing off, real clowns, you know. But they were serious about one thing, and one thing only." 

Harry stared at Ginny. "What was that?" 

"Muggle-born Slavery," Ginny answered. 

Ron continued the story. "You see, they hated the idea of it. They couldn't stand to see people leading Muggle-borns around like animals. They tried everything to make their voices heard. They talked to the Ministry, visited, wrote letters, everything. They wanted to make a difference. But none of those things worked." 

"So they tried something a little more… drastic," Ginny said. "They snuck over to the Muggle-born cages on the west side of town, in the middle of the night, and set them all free. They even lead them to an underground base and started-" 

Ron put his hand over Ginny's mouth. "Not so loud!" he whispered. He leaned in very close to Harry, "They started a Muggle-born resistance." 

Harry was truly shocked for the first time. Two Pure-bloods had started the Muggle-born resistance? Even Harry had heard whispered rumors about its existence, but no one was sure. After all, any Muggle-born who successfully escaped was never heard from again. But no rumors had ever even hinted as to who was in charge of the whole thing. "So what happened to them?" Harry asked. 

"They stayed underground for two months, setting things up. They sent us letters occasionally, telling us what was going on. But they decided to come out again, to try again to talk some sense into the Ministry." 

"That was a bad idea," Ginny continued, "They were arrested and sent to Azkaban. But no one knew what they had started, and to this day, no one other than escaped Muggle-borns and us, do." 

Harry exhaled. What a surprising story. "But they escaped, right?" 

"Yep," Ron said proudly, "Even Azkaban couldn't hold the two of them! They escaped, and sent us one final letter before going back underground." 

"So," Ginny said, standing up, "Ron and I know the risks. We're not afraid of danger, or of standing up for what we think is right. We'll help you break into Azkaban, _and_ get back out." 

Harry smiled, a sincerely happy smile that neither Ron nor Ginny had ever seen on him before. "Okay. Let's go then." 

And so the three of them left the dark side of town, and Diagon Alley, to head for a cave that could give them answers. It would be a dangerous journey, but they had each other. For the first time in his life, Harry truly wasn't alone. 

Notes: I'm really sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out. I know a lot of you have been waiting for a long time, and were growing impatient. I don't blame you. I'm disappointed in myself. But a lot of things have happened. A LOT of things. Things that have changed the way I think about friendship and relationships in general. This may or may not affect my writing. Anyway, thanks for keeping up with my work, and for encouraging me to do better. E-mails and messages over AIM (screen name is Faellamor now!) mean the world to me. Reviews mean even more. And remember, long, wordy reviews that give me lots of tips, pointers, and suggestions, are the most welcome of all! Feel free to e-mail me personally (especially if you'd like to recommend a good fic! I like dark, angsty, NC-17 type stuff involving Draco/Hermione or Harry/Ginny most of all!). Above all, thanks for reading, and I hope you'll read more of my work! 


	8. Chapter Seven

Seldom Tread Paths Chapter Seven: 

Sirius Black, as it turned out, was not at all what Harry imagined. Harry had pictured an old, dirty man with dark, vacant eyes and a long, bushy beard. But Sirius Black wasn't like that at all. The only word that came to mind when Harry saw him was 'classy'. True, he lived in a cave, but it wasn't an ordinary cave. It was quite a nice home built on the inside of a cave, with elegant lanterns hanging along the walls and a plush red carpet on the floor. 

Harry stood, shifting from one foot to the other, between Ron and Ginny as they watched the man pour himself a glass of wine and look up at them. "Really gave me a start, Harry," Sirius said, "I really thought you were James for a minute there, come back to haunt me." 

Harry was immediately still. "Haunt you? Is he dead?" 

Sirius smiled, though he did not seem happy. "No. As far as I know, he's not dead yet. At least not dead in the sense that you and I think of. Mentally… emotionally… he's been dead for years." 

Harry didn't really understand, but he wanted to hear more. "My father… I heard you were his friend." 

Sirius sat down his glass on a nearby table. "Yeah… a very long time ago, we were friends." 

Harry looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to go on. But he didn't. He simply stared at the ground, as if he'd forgotten that Harry was even there. Harry looked at Ron, and then at Ginny. Both of them shrugged. 

Harry cleared his throat. "So… er… what was he like?" 

Sirius looked up sharply. "Oh… James was a good man. Too good. Way too good." 

Harry sighed. He was getting nowhere. Now he knew what Snape meant when he said Harry would be lucky to get anything coherent out of the man. Sirius Black was a little more… off… than Harry expected. Could this man really tell him how to get into Azkaban? 

"Okay, I'll just get right down to it. I need you to tell me how to get into Azkaban." 

Sirius's eyes went wide, and he stared at Harry as if he had no clue who the boy was. "Azkaban?! Why the hell would you want to go there?!" 

"I want to see my father." 

Sirius laughed. "You can't get into Azkaban. And even if you did, talking to James would be like talking to a brick wall. He hasn't spoken in eighteen years." 

Harry blinked. Eighteen years? What could have caused him to go silent like that? What had happened to him? "Why?" was all Harry could manage to ask. 

"They broke him. They broke him like they'd snap a stick over their knee. Quick and with all their might." 

"What did they do to him? Why was he sent there? What about my mother?!" Harry yelled these questions at Sirius, annoyed and frustrated at the man for not giving him any straight answers. 

"I can't answer those questions for you, Harry," Sirius said quietly, taking another sip of wine. 

"Then who can?!" Harry cried. 

Sirius was quiet for a moment, then he stood up and went to stand near his fireplace. "I can only tell you that James was sent to Azkaban because of Lily Evans, your mother. And he's still there because of me." 

Harry said nothing, but waited for Sirius to continue. 

"You see… I did escape from Azkaban. And your father could have escaped too. But he chose not to. He chose to stay because he felt that he deserved to be there and serve out his time." 

"What did he do to deserve that?" Harry asked, knowing he wouldn't get the answer. 

Sirius ignored the question and continued the story. "After I escaped, I was put on the wanted lists… I was always being hunted down. A couple of months passed, and suddenly no one was searching for me anymore. Suddenly I was a lawfully free man. Then I got word that James offered to serve out both our sentences." 

Harry drew in a sharp breath. "So… he's rotting away in Azkaban… for you?" 

Sirius nodded. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm the reason you didn't have a father." 

Harry clenched his right first. He wanted to punch Sirius. "And you… why didn't you find me? Why didn't you take me in? I grew up on the streets! You owed more than that to my dad!" 

Sirius turned to look at Harry, and his eyes were large and sad. "You don't have to believe this if you don't want to, but I thought you were dead. Everyone did. Even James. Up until you showed up here today, I had no idea you were alive. In fact… if you didn't look so much like James, I never would have believed you were really his son." 

Harry swallowed. He didn't know what to think now. He had always imagined that his father was somewhere, waiting for him. He just knew that his father was fighting to get back to him, to come get him so that they could be a family. And in all his dreams, his mother was with them. 

"Wait," Harry said suddenly, "my mother… is she still alive?" 

Sirius shook his head. "No… she died not long after you were born." 

Harry looked down. "How? Who killed her?" 

"Even I don't know exactly what happened. The only person who knows the whole truth is James." 

Harry looked back at Sirius. "Okay… one more question… I read that my mother was 'registered' to my father. What does that mean?" 

Sirius sat back down in his chair, looking as if he knew the question would arise but had been dreading it the entire time. "You see, Harry… your mother was Muggle-born…" 

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out. Me being a Half-blood and all." 

Sirius cleared his throat and went on. "Well… your mother… she was your father's… slave." 

Ginny and Ron looked at each other, then to Harry, unable to imagine how he could feel after hearing that. But Harry looked expressionless. "To be honest," he said, "I sort of expected that. So I was just a product of some Pure-blood's forbidden lust for a Mudblood. What was it, an experiment for James? Did he even bother trying to seduce her, or did he just fucking rape her?" 

Ginny put her hand over her mouth, slightly shocked by what Harry had said. Ron said nothing, but the color had drained from his face. This situation was getting too intense. 

Sirius frowned. "That's not what happened, Harry. I know how it sounds. But James loved Lily." 

Harry narrowed his eyes. "So you're saying it was completely mutual? Mum just up and volunteered to be his slave?!" 

"No… I can't say that… but James didn't rape her. He may have been brash and arrogant and yes, sometimes even forceful, but he would never do something like that. Not to Lily." 

Harry flopped down into a chair. "I don't understand. How could she want to have sex with someone who made her into a slave?" 

"Harry, your father didn't make her into a slave. The Ministry of Magic made her into a slave, as they did all Muggle-borns at that time." 

Harry took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll give my father the chance to explain himself. Now, will you help me get into Azkaban?" 

Sirius walked over to a desk in the corner of the room and pulled a role of parchment out of a drawer. He unrolled it and picked up a quill. "I haven't left this cave in six years, Harry. I'm not going to lead you into Azkaban. But I can draw you a map." 

Harry sat up. "A map? Will that help?" 

Sirius grinned. "I'll be sure to label all the secret passageways and hidden entrances. You think that'll help?" 

Harry grinned too, and for a moment Sirius seemed fixated on Harry's face, as if an old, forgotten memory was replaying in his mind for the first time in ages. 

Ron and Ginny sat down on either side of Harry. "This is great, Harry," Ginny said with a smile, "I'm sure we can get in and out safely now." 

Ron was quiet. He seemed to be feeling awkward. 

Harry turned to him. "Something wrong?" 

Ron looked up at him and smiled uneasily. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about what you said… about your parents… Do you really think it's impossible for Pure-bloods and Muggle-borns, or even Half-bloods, to love each other? I mean… isn't it possible that your parents did love each other?" 

Harry blinked, and suddenly had a very strange look on his face. "I… that's not exactly what I meant… at least… that's not how I wanted it to sound…" 

Ginny smiled and took his hand. "I never thought I'd see you stumbling over a response, Harry." 

"I just now realized how it sounded… what I said earlier. I wasn't even thinking of the two of you when I said it." 

Ginny laughed. "It's all right, Harry. We know. But Ron was trying to make you see that there are exceptions to everything. Aren't the three of us living proof of that?" 

Harry looked to Ron, who was nodding. "I guess you're right. I hadn't thought of it like that. Thanks, guys." 

Ginny suddenly leaned over and wrapped her arms around Harry. "Oh Harry, I know you're busy with this whole situation right now, and I respect that… but after this is all over… maybe we could…" 

Harry patted her head. "Ginny, after this is all over, we'll have plenty of time to get to now each other better." Harry glanced back at Ron, who was staring at the two of them with wide eyes. He didn't know what to say to him. Harry had developed very strong feelings for the both of them, and he really had no preference of one over the other. Ron was more fun to tease, but Ginny was more fun to chat with. Ron was awkward and naïve, which made him funny and humorous. Ginny was gentle and kind, but strong enough to stand up for what she thought was right. In Harry's mind, the two of them came as a package deal. He really couldn't imagine being with one without the other. They were his best and only friends. 

Harry withdrew carefully from Ginny, and looked at Ron. "What? You're too good to hug me?" 

Ron went a little red, but he smiled. "I'm not as mushy as Ginny." 

Harry reached over and gripped Ron's arm, jerking him closer to him. He wrapped his arms around him. "We're friends, right Ron?" Harry said. 

Ron sighed, returning the hug. "Right, Harry. We're best friends." 

Ginny smiled at the two of them, and Harry pulled her over to them as well. The three of them embraced for a moment, and they all suddenly felt like this was perfect. The three of them, caring for each other and helping each other, it was simply meant to be. 

They separated when they heard Sirius scoot his chair back from his desk. He stood up, holding the map in his hand. "Finished," he said, reaching it to Harry. 

Harry stood up too and took the map. He tucked it into his robes. "Thanks, Sirius." 

Sirius smiled. "It's the least I can do. I'm still getting used to the fact that you're alive. I'm sure James… if he can even understand who you are… he'll be happy." 

Harry reached into the inside of his shirt, beneath the edge of his robes, and pulled his pendant out. He pulled it over his head and reached it to Sirius. "I've had this around my neck since I can remember. I suppose my father gave it to Snape to give to me. It has his name on it, and mother's. I figured you might know what it means… if it means anything at all… you can keep it." 

Sirius took the pendant and examined it. It was in the shape of a cylinder tube, and the names James Potter and Lily Evans were written in very small print across it. Sirius held it between his thumb and index finger, and pressed hard on the opposite edges. Suddenly the pendant made a clicking sound and a tiny copper key fell out. Sirius held it in his hands. 

Harry was surprised. "I didn't know it did that. What's that key?" 

Sirius held it out in the palm of his hand so that Harry could get a better look at it. "Harry… please don't misunderstand what I tell you. This key went to the shackles your mother wore around her wrists while she was your father's slave." 

Harry suddenly felt very weak, as if he were about to pass out. Those words had hit him like a metal rod to the head. "You mean he kept her chained up like an animal?!" 

Sirius shook his head. "It's too complicated to explain, Harry. But I can tell you that she didn't remain shackled the entire time. Your father… he used to carry this key around his neck, in this pendant. He called it the key to Lily's heart. I think that's why he left it to you." 

Harry numbly pushed Sirius's hand away. "Keep it," he told him, "I don't want something like that hanging from my neck. I don't want a reminder of what he did to my mother." 

Sirius pressed the key, along with the pendant, into his pocket. "I understand. I'll keep it safe for you here. After you talk to your father, and after you understand the circumstances, I think you'll want it back." 

Harry looked at him thoughtfully. "Okay. I'll come back. I promise." 

Sirius watched as Harry, Ron, and Ginny picked up their bags and headed for the door. Harry turned back at the last second. "Sirius… I really wish you would've known that I was alive. I think you would've been a good father. Probably better than James." 

Sirius smiled sadly. "And I wish I could've been your father, Harry." 

The three of them left, exited the cave, and began the trip to Azkaban. 

Note: Well, lookie here! Another chapter so soon! I really want to finish this story fairly soon because I'm eager to write the James/Lily part. I know I still have to do the next Dra/Herm part first… but I may start writing some chapters to the James/Lily story anyway. I know things sound kind of bad, things between James and Lily I mean, but trust me, it'll all be explained when it comes time for me to write their story. And of course, that story will explain exactly how this world ended up like it is. But if you decide to review, perhaps you could answer a few questions for me? These are for my own use, when writing future stories (or finishing this one…). Please answer honestly! 

What are your top three favorite HP Pairings? 

Do you prefer AU (Alternate Universe, like this one) or regular universe stories? 

Are you offended by sex scenes that involve some… ahem dominating activities? 

And finally, for this story alone, do you hope for the pairing to be HarryxRon, HarryxGinny, or RonxGinny? Thanks, and please review with more than just your answers! Please let me know what you think of the story/chapter as well! Feel free to share your speculations/ideas/suggestions. :D 


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight 

It was Ginny who awakened in the middle of the next night, as the three of them slept in two separate motel rooms. Ginny was alone in hers, being the only girl, and Ron and Harry shared one. She sat up in bed, the sheets piled up around her waist. She wondered if the boys were awake, if they were talking or sleeping or perhaps something else. 

She wasn't stupid enough to miss all the little hints and clues. There was something going on between Ron and Harry that she didn't quite understand. But she was certain that Ron preferred girls. She'd spied him sneaking many a young girl into the house over the past couple of years, all pretty and giggly and blushing. She knew what they were planning as they tip-toed up the stairs and crept into Ron's bedroom. She had always smiled and returned to her bed, never uttering a word of it to their parents. What made Ron happy made her happy. 

But Ron's interest in Harry had been deeper than friendship, and deeper still than mere sexual attraction, and Ginny had sensed it time and time again. She wondered how it had come to this, how she had become her brother's rival for the affections of another boy. She considered avoiding a relationship at all with Harry. She didn't want to make Ron feel jealous of left out. 

She scooted out of bed and pulled on a robe. She had decided to talk about the situation with Ron. Surely they could sort this out. She looked at the old wooden clock hanging on the wall opposite her bed. It was only two in the morning, Ron could still be awake. 

She stepped quietly down the corridor to the next room, and knocked softly on the door. Seconds passed, and she knocked again. She waited ten more seconds before turning, assuming that the boys were asleep. She could talk to Ron tomorrow. 

"Ginny?" 

She turned back. The door was standing open and Harry was standing in the doorway, wearing black cotton shorts. There were no lights on in the room, and Harry's hair was wild and messy. He had been asleep. 

"Did you want something?" he asked. 

She paused, then smiled. "I was hoping to talk to Ron, but I suppose he's asleep." 

Harry looked over his shoulder. "Yeah, he's out cold. I can wake him if you want…" 

Ginny shook her head quickly. "No, that's all right. It wasn't really important." 

Harry stared at her. "Are you sure?" 

She nodded. 

Harry stepped outside the door and closed it behind him. "You can talk to me then." 

"No really… it was nothing." 

Harry began walking back toward Ginny's room, and she followed uneasily. "Look, you don't go looking for someone at two in the morning if you don't need to talk about something. I can listen as good as Ron." 

Ginny closed the door behind them when they entered her room and sat down on the bed. Harry sat in a chair across from her. "It's really the sort of thing I have to discuss with him." 

Harry grinned. "In other words, you wanted to talk about me?" 

Ginny went a little red. "Well, to be honest, yes. In a way." 

Harry leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Pretend I'm Ron then. Talk about me all you want." 

Ginny laughed. "Sorry, you and Ron are far too different for that. But… if you really want to listen… I guess I can talk to you." 

Harry opened his eyes again, signaling for her to go on. 

"You know that I'm developing feelings for you, don't you?" 

Harry nodded. 

"And I'm sure you're aware that Ron has an interest in you as well." 

Harry smiled. "I'm _well_ aware of that." 

Ginny blinked. "Oh… so the two of you… _oh_." 

"No, no. Don't take it the wrong way. Nothing serious has happened between us, but we did kiss… and… well… we haven't had sex or anything." 

Ginny's mouth had dropped open. "I didn't realize it had gone that far. I feel stupid now." 

"Why do you feel stupid? It's not like Ron and I are married. You're not trying to steal me from him, Ginny." 

"But… he's my brother… I don't like the idea of competing with him." 

Harry laughed loudly. "Competing? Ginny, I like you. I like Ron too. Ron likes you. You like Ron. We all like each other. Why can't we all be happy together?" 

Ginny looked at him blankly. "That's… that's rather… unconventional, don't you think?" 

"We're still young though. All three of us are. We should just enjoy the time we have together for what it is. We have all the time in the world to figure out the details." 

Ginny smiled. "You know, I think you're right. Thanks, Harry." 

Harry stood up and ruffled her hair. "To be honest… I always wanted a little sister. Or a little brother. Just something to take care of, I guess. No one took care of me." 

Ginny looked up at him sadly. "I'm sorry. It must have been hard for you." 

Harry shrugged. "It's all right. People suffer everyday. All we can do is move on." 

Ginny stood up too. "And besides," she told him, walking him to the door, "you have a family now." 

Harry nodded and smiled as he walked back down the hall and to his room. Ginny felt much better as she climbed back into bed, her mind finally at ease. Harry had been perfectly right. The three of them could stay together for a long time, being friends and perhaps more in the long run. There was no rush. 

The next morning, the three of them wakened early and continued on their path to Azkaban. It would be a long trip on foot, but they didn't dare to use floo powder or any other magical route. Surely they would be intercepted that way. 

It was late into the evening when they stopped to camp out in a forest. Ron made a small fire while Harry and Ginny set up a tent. They were in an unpopulated area, with no inns in sight. 

Harry plopped down on the ground beside Ron, and Ginny beside him. "Isn't this nice?" she asked, "The three of us sitting around a campfire… we should tell scary stories!" 

Ron groaned. "We're not little kids, Ginny." 

"I think it'd be fun," Harry said, scooting closer to Ginny. 

Ron frowned. "Okay. Whatever. Tell us a scary story, Ginny." 

Ginny stood up and cleared her throat, then grinned at the two of them. "Once upon a time, there were three wayward campers out in the woods, sitting around a fire. They were laughing and talking and having a good time. But suddenly, they heard a long, loud, snarling sound from deep into the forest. The smartest and fairest of the three stood up and listened carefully. 'What was that?' she asked. The other two shook their heads. 'Who knows?' one of them said. 'Probably just an animal.'. 

"But it wasn't just an animal," Ginny continued seriously, "It was something far more horrifying. They heard the growl again, this time closer and louder. Again, the girl stood up. 'We should leave. It's not safe here.' But the two boys ignored her. They were busy cooking a fish on the fire. 

"The third time they heard the growl, the girl stood up once more. 'I know there's something dangerous out there! Let's leave now!' And again, the boys laughed and told her not to worry. But, it was right at that moment that-" 

Ginny's voice broke off as a huge crashing sound filled the night air. Ginny, Harry, and Ron leapt back away from the fire as a large, dark beast landed right in the middle of them. It was obviously not human, with a fur-covered body and a gaping mouth full of razor teeth. It looked at each of them, growling under its breath. It whirled, seemingly to go after Ron, but in an instant Harry, Ginny, and Ron all three had their wands pointed at the beast. 

It froze, staring at the wands. "It's a werewolf!" Ron stated. 

"Anyone have a good spell handy?" Ginny asked, still watching the werewolf. 

Harry called out a spell and a golden flame poured from his wand. The werewolf was knocked to the ground, and it cried out in pain as it began to revert to human form. 

Ginny and Ron looked at him. "Whoa… that was pretty good," Ron said. 

Harry didn't answer them. He was busy staring at the human man that was appearing where their campfire had been. He squatted down, pointing his wand at him. The man looked exhausted, and his clothes were in shreds. "Who are you?" Harry asked. 

The man peered up at him, and his eyes were elliptical. "James!" he cried, thrusting himself against Harry and embracing him. "How… how did you…" 

Harry shoved him back and pointed his wand at him again. "I'm _not_ James! Who are you?! And how do you know my father?!" 

The man looked stunned. "Your father?! Then you're… Harry!" 

Harry lowered his wand. "How do you know my name?" 

"My name is Remus Lupin. I was a close friend of your father's. I knew you as a baby… I never knew you survived!" 

"Survived what?" 

"The attack made on you by the Ministry… they told James, they told us, that they killed you!" 

Harry sat down beside him. "Look, I don't even know what you're talking about. I was never attacked. I lived with Severus Snape until I was four. Then I grew up on the streets." 

"Snape?! My God… how on earth did you end up with him?" Lupin asked. 

"Not really sure. He always said that my father disappeared and left me in his care." 

Lupin shook his head. "No… that would never happen. James would have left you with Sirius." 

"You know Sirius too?" Ron piped in. 

Lupin nodded. "I was on my way to his home tonight. He usually chains me up on nights like these. But I was delayed. I didn't make it in time." 

Harry suddenly had an idea. "Do you know what happened to my mother? How did she die?" 

Lupin had felt around in his tattered robes to find his wand, which he had used to restart the fire he had ruined. "I'm sorry, Harry. I don't know." 

Harry sighed. "No one does, it seems." 

Lupin looked at him. "James knows. After all, she died before his very eyes." 

Harry looked back at him sharply. 

He continued. "Your father was a bit of a … rebel. Even Azkaban couldn't keep him under control. So they decided to break his spirit. They already had Lily in custody. The last thing I heard, James and Lily were taken to a courtyard in Azkaban, and then it was reported that Lily was dead." 

Harry looked into the fire. He felt like something warm had been poured into his heart. It was a horrible thing to hear, and yet he had been so thirsty for information on the subject that hearing anything at all made him feel better. So the Ministry had killed his mother, and told James that they had killed Harry. He already had a severe dislike for the Ministry of Magic, with it's anti-Muggle laws and strict rules. But now a deep burning hatred was emerging. He wanted to destroy it. He wanted to walk into the Ministry itself and level the place to the ground. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt that he would someday. 

Lupin stood up. "It was wonderful to see you, Harry. I'd love to talk with you more, but the spell you cast will wear off shortly, and I'll become a monster again. I must hurry to Sirius." 

Harry nodded. "It was nice to meet you. We'll see each other again, after I get back from Azkaban." 

Lupin looked surprised. "You're going to see James?" 

"Yeah. I've lived my whole life with all these questions. I think it's finally time I get some answers." 

Lupin smiled. "You're very right. Just be careful. Azkaban is a dangerous place. You'll deal with more than werewolves." 

"Like Dementors?" Ginny asked. 

Lupin looked at her. "Yes, and then more than those." 

Harry looked determined. "It doesn't matter. Whatever gets in my way, I'll go right through it. After all, I promised Sirius that I'd come back." 

Lupin smiled at them one more time before he left, fading into the darkness of the forest. Harry watched him until he disappeared. He had met two very interesting people, two men who could have been fathers to him. He smiled to himself. _They could still be my fathers. When I come back._

Notes: This chapter was a little bit shorter, wasn't it? I hope it didn't disappoint anyone. I'm still on the prowl for good fanfiction recommendations. Please share if you know of a dark/angsty DracoxHermione, HarryxGinny, or JamesxLily fic. Preferably NC-17. Also, thanks for all the reviews. Your answers to the questions really did help! This story will be wrapping up soon. I think chapter ten will be the last one. Then the next DraxHerm will start, though I think I'll wait a while before I start it. Basically, I need to get back into the DraxHerm mood (another reason you should be recommending good DraxHerm stories to me!). I also need to work out some ideas running through my mind. 

In case anyone is interested, I have a website JUST for my writings now. Just go to my homepage and then click on "writings". I have some HP fanfics there that aren't posted here. Anyway, thanks for reading, and please leave a long review! :D 


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